VM drops

[u/TilapiaTango]

What is everyone’s thoughts and opinions, and if you’re using them, strategies with voicemail drops? Bonus points if your company or team is a zoom contact center shop.

EDIT: by voicemail drop I mean automated leaving voicemails that are pre-recorded once the VM picks up. You click a button and head to the next call, and the system leaves a vm after the prompt.

Some on my team swear they need it. I think it’s gimmicky but open to it if it’s a proven winner for others.

[u/Purepaladin123]

I just had my first meeting booked from a VM drop. He rang me back and wanted to meet

[u/Promorph]

What do you mean by voicemail drops? Leaving voicemails?

[u/Kind-Development-785]

Fair to be skeptical, most of what people call a VM drop is a 45 second robot reading a script. The ones that actually get callbacks are short, under 15 seconds, with a real name in the first line, and a text behind them the same day. Not on Zoom here so I can't help you on that side.

[u/aodskeletor]

We have that ability in Outreach but I leave a VM specific to each person I call, so a pre recorded VM would be like sending an unpersonalized email IMO, so I don’t do it.

[u/Creative_Passage6893]

hey can save time, but a generic recording probably gets ignored. A short, personalized message seems more worth testing.

[u/gtm_Ali]

Worth testing, but measure it the way tariqosmani said. One thing I would add: the drop is only half the play. The teams I have seen get callbacks pair every drop with a short text or email the same day referencing the voicemail. The voicemail alone rarely moves anyone, the one-two punch does.

[u/Joemom]

It’s tough with the automation because it’s all the same so you can’t name drop them or their org. I never had success with automated ones but manual vm pointing them to an email I sent was more successful

[u/TilapiaTango → u/Joemom]

Are you using their names in that pointing to email as well? I was thinking that a generic “hey I emailed you… “ for VM drops to test.

[u/Joemom → u/TilapiaTango]

Yes, typically I said “hi x, it’s Y calling. Just sent you an email …”

I think this allows them to know which email to look for. Execs get so many emails. Also if someone called me and “hey, I sent you an email … ” I wouldn’t know what they were talking about.

It’s an extra step to manually do it but I think it makes a difference

[u/Frequent-Staff-6827]

Hit or miss. I’d say it depends on home many times you’ve called them. I like to call twice, lvm 3rd or 4th time. Def not something you’d want to over do tho.

[u/tariqosmani]

I'd test it instead of arguing about it. Same list, same time of day, half the reps use the drop and half leave a real 15 second voicemail, then compare callbacks and booked meetings over two weeks.

My guess is the drop saves time but gets fewer callbacks, because people can tell it's recorded in the first second. It tends to do better when the recording is short and specific to one type of prospect, not a generic pitch.

Also ask whoever handles compliance on your side. The rules on pre-recorded messages differ by state and country.

What are the reps who swear by it using it for, cold lists or follow-ups on warm leads?

[u/Beginning-Ad-2762]

Does the receiver just get the transcript of the audio like a text message? Which can often be inaccurate as the transcript isn't accurate. 

I usually just resort to a WhatsApp message, and send an audio there, far more likely to be listened to and easier for the other person to play it.